Basics - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 25

Getting there
The easiest way to reach the northern
parts of South America is by air via the US,
usually through a hub such as Houston,
Atlanta or Miami. Flights from Europe
alternatively may go via another city in
the EU or, for the southern part of the
region, stopover in São Paulo or Rio. The
national South American airlines, such
as Aerolíneas Argentinas, LAN, TACA and
TAM, provide a reasonable choice of
schedules and routes. Many immigration
departments in South America insist that
you have an onward or return ticket to
enter the country, but the application of
such rules is more strict in some countries
than in others.
Airfares are seasonal, with the highest around July,
August and mid-December to mid-January; you'll
get the best prices during the dry winter (May, June
and late Sept) and the wet summer (in most of the
region Feb-April, excluding Carnaval and Easter).
Note also that flying on weekends is often more
expensive. You can generally cut costs by going
through a specialist flight agent, booking flights well
in advance or taking advantage of web-only offers
and airline frequent-flyer programmes . Another way
to cut costs is to book with a tour operator that can
put together a package deal including flights and
accommodation, and perhaps tours as well.

direct flights to both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo
in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina (for the latter
you'll sometimes have to touch down in Brazil but
don't have to change planes) - but fares tend to be
more expensive than those of their European and
South American rivals. The best value-for-money
airline depends on the country you are flying to,
but generally a flight with a European airline such
as Iberia, TAP or Air France, via their main airport in
Madrid, Lisbon or Paris, is cheaper than flying via
the US.

Flights from the US and Canada

Most South American airlines serving North
America operate flights from New York or Miami.
US airlines tend to fly out of their hubs: Delta
from Atlanta and Continental from Houston. Flying
through Miami affords you greater flexibility in
travel planning and cheaper prices. There are flights
to all major South American cities from at least
one of the above. Direct flights from Canada are
very limited; it's generally best to transfer at a US
hub. From either the US or Canada, return flights are
available from around US$450.

Flights from Australia and NZ

The best deals to South America are offered
by the major South American airlines Aerolíneas
Argentinas and LAN in conjunction with Qantas
and Air New Zealand. Aerolíneas Argentinas flies
from Sydney to Buenos Aires, with connections
across the continent; Qantas has code-shares with
LAN via Auckland to Santiago and beyond. There
are also plenty of flights via the US, but most are
not scheduled through to South America and
therefore tend to take longer and cost more, as
each sector has to be priced separately. From
Australia and NZ expect to pay at least US$1500 -
but you can sometimes pay much more. Often
airlines will charge more if you wish to stay in South
America for longer than a month.

Flights from the UK and Ireland

If you book your flight well in advance, flying to
South America from the UK will be considerably
cheaper than a few weeks before, unless you
manage to get a last-minute deal - not always to
be banked on. If you're prepared to not fly direct,
you'll also get a cheaper price, but this could mean
a long stopover in an airport while waiting for a
connection. Return flights from the UK and Ireland
start at around £400-500. British Airways operates

ESTA CLEARANCE
Since January 12, 2009, the US government has required those travellers coming to or through
the US on the Visa Waiver Program to apply for clearance via ESTA (Electronic System for
Travel Authorization). This is not something to ignore - if you arrive at the airport without
having done it, the airline won't allow you to check in. To apply for clearance visit W cbp.gov
/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/ - make sure you do this at least 72 hours before travelling;
you'll need your passport to hand, and the admin fee at the time of publication is US$14.
Once a traveller has received clearance, it remains valid for two years.